Little Known Black History Fact: Philadelphia’s First Black-Owned Transit System

The strike against hiring and promoting black transit workers effected the production of WWII materials, since Philadelphia was one of the biggest cities for production. The president sent 5,000 troops to enforce the new law and end the strike. The Major General on command stated that he would enlist striking workers into the Army if they didn’t return to work. The NAACP worked with the white and black residents to end the strike peacefully. Within six days, the transit system was up and running again. The eight black employees were hired and a month after their first trolley run, more blacks were operators were hired.

Decades later, as STSC Transportation, the new African-American owned transit company begins its services, the community welcomes ownership of a business that was once under heavy scrutiny for providing opportunity to blacks to simply operate the equipment.